The top 5 creative campaigns you need to know about right now

Passion is a welcome subject for any advertiser. It’s typically easier to get people to care about your campaign if the people in your campaign are energized, motivated and ready to take on the world. Much of the work among this week’s Top 5 had passion at the core, whether it involved the high drama of New York real estate, the fight for women’s equality or people’s lifelong passion for music. The energy in each campaign was palpable, and made for memorable advertising. See the full Top 5 below. Sign up for Ad Age newsletters From influencer marketing to agencies, get the latest news and analysis delivered to your inbox Click here 5. StreetEasy: Let the Journey Begin Agency: Mother New York StreetEasy has long created interesting illustrated outdoor campaigns for New York, most of which run in heavy rotation on the subway. But Mother New York takes the approach to new heights with ads inspired by Renaissance paintings that embody the high drama of trying to buy a home in the city. The execution below kicks off a series of seven ads that follow New Yorkers through the buying process, from lease-renewal notice to triumphant house closing. They’re all wonderful. 4. Seattle Children’s: Scary Not Scary Agency: Little Hands of Stone The most interesting tone we saw this week came in this spot for Seattle Children’s Hospital, addressing teen suicide. We’re accustomed to somber messaging around this topic, but this ad is different. Narrated by a Gen Zer, it’s styled to look like a PowerPoint deck, with the voiceover advising a generation of parents not to be afraid of talking to their kids about the issue. A version of the spot aired regionally on the Oscars, and no wonder—it really breaks through. 3. Manscaped: The Boys Agency: Pereira O’Dell For pure, silly fun, nothing beat this Manscaped spot this week. Talking about male groin grooming is never easy, but Pereira O’Dell found a funny metaphor that was also completely TV safe. The visuals alone are amusing, but each scene also brings its own particular laughs. This is also exactly the right tone for the target customers, who can also experiment with a filter in social media to see what their “boys” would look like if they were mini-mes like the ones in the spot. 2. Kotex: #ProgressFeelsLike Agency: Capital A Among this year’s International Women’s Day efforts, this manifesto by Kotex truly stood out. Many campaigns about women’s equality are uplifting and empowering, but this one—led creative by A.J. Hassan, one of the key architects of Always’ “Like a Girl” a decade ago—doesn’t shy away from the anxiety and discomfort that come with that struggle. Indeed, this work arrives at a time when women are dealing with setbacks to equality and a rising fear and uncertainty around what progress means for women today. That honesty makes the message feel real. Knowing that progress is under threat brings renewed passion for the fight, a feeling that’s well captured here. Also read: Women share lessons from their ad careers Ad Age Leading Women Luncheon Join us Aug. 7 in New York as we recognize this year’s honorees Buy your ticket today 1. SiriusXM: A Life in Sound Agency: Uncommon A new Kim Gehrig spot is always an event in the ad world, and the Somesuch director is at her usual high level in this SiriusXM film by Uncommon. The spot opens with a young Black girl dancing in a mostly empty loft to Doja Cat’s “Paint the Town Red.” Then, over the course of its three minutes, the film impressively shapeshifts and time-travels as it honors the power of music (all audio, really, but mostly music) to move us. A great piece of work from one of advertising’s top directors and an agency that knows a thing or two about craft itself. Ad Age Creativity Bookmark our section covering the best in brand creativity every day Read more here

The top 5 creative campaigns you need to know about right now

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